


Paddington

by wellmet



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:08:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21568084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellmet/pseuds/wellmet
Summary: James Bond meets Q for the first time and Q's spirit guide and finds his own. Light hearted.
Relationships: James Bond/Q
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	Paddington

**Author's Note:**

> James Bond meets Q for the first time and meets Q's guide and his own. Light hearted

PADDINGTON  
Meretseger 2019

Author's Notes

A couple of nights ago I was channel surfing (I'm one of those old Luddite types who doesn't have pay TV)when I heard a voice that sounded familiar - but the film was a children's film about a bear. You can guess the rest …) I was going to make Bond's guide something impressive but then I remembered 'Cowboys and Aliens' that Mr Craig was in (If you haven't seen it- it's weird but wonderful) and he had a sort of spirit guide in the film so I used that to keep up the light-hearted theme.)

James Bond looked around the room as he entered but the only other being there was a small bear studying a painting. Ever since That Day (as in 'where were you on that day when?' ), as every one called it, he had been able to see spirit guides/animals - not his own but other peoples - but he had never seen one on its own studying the Turner Bequest, nor one that was a bear wearing a red felt hat and a duffle coat. He sat down in front of The Fighting Temmeraire and waited for Q to arrive with his kit for his latest mission. Movement caught the corner of his eye as the bear moved to the next painting. Obviously the bear liked Turner more than he did - especially when the artist had painted a beautiful old wooden warship being towed to the wrecking yard by a steam tug that was entirely too plebeian to be doing such a thing to a grand old lady.

Bond went to stand up when a young man, who his gaydar pinged at, sat down next to him. Then the young man, who Bond thought was young enough to still have spots, said he was Q, the Quartermaster of MI6, Bond wasn't impressed and meant to say so when the bear who had been looking at the Turners walked over and stood by his knees studying him with black button eyes.

"Paddington, this is James Bond. 007." 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr Bond, 007." Paddington's voice was just a bit posher than Q's. He held out a paw and Bond took it reflexively. It was smaller and squarer than his own hand, his fingers ruffling the light brown fur as his palm felt the warm roughness of his pad. The bear smiled and took off his hat. "You look tired and worn out," his voice was soft with concern and he smiled as he reached into his hat and held out a sandwich, offering it to Bond. "I am sure a marmalade sandwich will make you feel so much better."

Bond frowned - since when did spirit guides hand out marmalade sandwiches? They were more likely to offer arcane and irritatingly difficult to understand advice than something so mundane as marmalade sandwiches! 

"Thank you but I'm fine," Bond said, wondering why he felt so calm about talking to a bear. "Excuse me for asking but what kind of bear are you?" He'd seen Alec's spirit guide bear, which was huge, and a giant panda as the guide to a Chinese secret service agent he'd worked with, but Paddington didn't look any kind of bear he'd seen before.

"Oh, I'm from Peru," Paddington said, obviously pleased at the question as he replaced his hat on his head.

"Peru?" Bond asked. He'd never heard of any bears in Peru .. . unless maybe the Yeti …

"The other Peru," Q said, rubbing a long fingered hand over his Guide's arm. "Where talking bears come from."

By this time Bond was convinced that either this new Q was mad - or he was. He sighed, he knew which was more likely. But Q was all business now, handing him his kit, which included a gun that only he could use. He slipped the flat, black leather box into an inner pocket and left, leaving the younger man to study the painting in front of him. 

"What did you see when you looked at that painting?" Suddenly, in the way of spirit guides Paddington was standing beside him in the arch of the gallery.

"A bloody big ship," Bond answered as he left. But a memory stirred and suddenly he could remember his mother's kitchen and the smell of marmalade sandwiches. 

******************************************************

Bond undid his seat belt when the sign went off and ordered a stiff drink as soon as the stewardess asked him if he required anything. He smiled, ordered his drink and let her see that wasn't the only thing he'd like her to do for him. She smiled back and flirted with her eyes and then went away.

The cabin was quiet, most of the other passengers either asleep or watching something on their screens with earphones on. He was tired and the painkillers he had taken were making him relax and he was thinking he might get some sleep when something whizzed down the aisle, past him and then turned back. He blinked as a small bird, some kind of humming bird he supposed, perched on his knee and cocked his head up at him. 

"Umm," for once Bond was lost for words but when the bird took off and flew around his head he tried to follow it's movements and realised he was smiling. So, this was his spirit Guide - he'd always thought he didn't have one; there wasn't enough left of his soul left he'd always thought, not enough for him to have a spirit guide and, if he did have one, he'd always thought it would be something - well, more macho. He laughed at himself and his pretensions and decided he liked his humming bird.

"Nice to finally meet you," he finally decided to say. He got a ruffle of wings that made a faint whistling sound. "And no pooping on my suit." That earned him a look from dark eyes that he took for a reproof, so he apologised. Somehow comforted he closed his eyes and slept. 

***********************************************************

Back in the depths of MI6 headquarters Q was drinking Earl Grey tea and getting ready to guide 007 through his mission. Paddington was sitting on the settee he had installed in his office for when he needed to have a nap before working all night and eating a marmalade sandwich.

"He's sad," Paddington said, putting his half-eaten sandwich back in his hat. He and Q often talked when they were alone late at night in Q Branch. 

Q knew who his guide was talking about. He nodded, he'd sensed the sadness in Bond as soon as they met. He knew why, of course, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Bond was a double 0, a man with a licence to kill - not the kind of life that would make a man happy. 

"I gave him something to be happy about," Paddington said as he curled up. He'd enjoyed looking at the Turner's but he was ready for a nap now. 

"You did?" Q asked. Paddington rarely went in for enigmatic. "What did you do?"

"He'll find out soon," Paddington said. "You both will." Then he disappeared before any more questions could be asked. He wanted it to be a surprise. He was sure Mr Bond and his Q would be happy when they found out.


End file.
